


Replay

by shazamitylam



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Tags to be added, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-23 05:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shazamitylam/pseuds/shazamitylam
Summary: After Doomfist destroys her chronal accelerator, Tracer finds herself lost in time again.ORFive times Lena met her teammates out of time and one time she met herself.





	1. Chapter 1

Fading out of the timeline didn’t  _ hurt _ , really. The faint buzzing under her skin, Winston’s shocked visage flickering before her eyes, and she was just...gone.

Lena tried to keep her breaths steady as chills ran down her body. This strange feeling of drifting, of being pulled apart, was a familiar sensation that she hadn’t missed at all. The distinct lack of control was frightening, though she’d rather not admit it.

After what felt like hours, she finally felt solid ground under her, coarse bricks that were more welcome than the blankness that had surrounded her, somehow boring and overwhelming at the same time. Instinct told her that she’d been through something that was beyond her comprehension, a chip on the surface of the immense expanse of time.

Thinking too much about it would do her no good. She’d best make use of the time she had here and try to reach Winston or Overwatch if it was possible.

Now, if only she knew when and where “here” was…

Lena gingerly picked herself up from the ground, rolling her shoulders to loosen them. Her body felt  _ light _ , though she couldn’t tell whether it was from the absence of the device on her chest or from the chronal dissociation that she had experienced again. She winced as her hand brushed past her abdomen; she may have made it through time in one piece, but having the accelerator  _ wrenched _ away from her hadn’t been fun.

As she straightened, something  _ hissed  _ by her ear, making her freeze. A glance to the side revealed an arrow embedded in the wall.

_ Close shot!  _ The words never left her mouth as her eyes caught sight of the archer, standing in the shadows and still holding his bow ready. Their eyes met as he stepped out into the glow of the setting sun, and Lena realized that he likely could have killed her with that arrow if he’d wanted to.

Once again, she cursed the loss of her chronal accelerator.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” His voice was rough, in part thanks to the harshness with which he spoke.

She pursed her lips, wishing that he’d lower that bow while they talked. Then again, he must have been surprised by her sudden appearance...and she did still have her pulse pistols at her sides. “I’m Tracer! And...well, I’m not exactly sure where  _ here _ is, unfortunately.”

The man frowned. “How could you not know?” At her admittedly unusual silence, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “This is Hanamura. Home of the Shimada clan.”

_ Shimada? _

“Wait a minute. Are you Hanzo Shimada? Genji’s brother!”

Oops. Maybe too sudden? The archer tensed, and she really hoped that he wouldn’t let that arrow fly. “How do you know Genji?” he demanded, and Lena took that to mean yes, he was indeed Hanzo.

“I’m his friend! We work together.” 

Hanzo frowned, and Lena’s heart lurched as she realized that it was likely that she was actually in a time when Genji was thought to be dead or even before the big fight between the brothers had happened. “I’m sorry,” she interrupted as he opened his mouth, “but when was the last time you spoke with him?”

“That is none of your business,” he said, and  _ wow  _ was he hostile! But at least he didn’t seem surprised to know that his brother was alive, right? So she must have arrived in the future…

“You still have not answered my question. What are you doing here, and how did you appear like that?”

“You added a question,” she pointed out to him, and he glared at her in response. “Well, you might not believe me, but I’m not from this time. I was in a fight, and I was sent here to a different time and place, apparently,” she huffed.

Hanzo stared at her for a few seconds, looking angry. Though, now that she thought about it, he always looked angry. Did he ever smile? How did Genji deal with him?

“Let us say for a moment...that I believe you.”

Lena blinked at him, startled. He actually  _ believed  _ her story? Time travel and all?

He seemed to know what she was thinking. “Hypothetically, let us consider this situation. I assume you are trying to find a way back.”

“Yeah! Would you help me?”

Hanzo shook his head, and she deflated. “I cannot. But...perhaps my brother can.”

_ Oh.  _ “So you HAVE talked to him recently! This is great! Are you-”

“He left not long ago,” he cut her off, “to do something important. To choose a side.” Hanzo lowered his bow the slightest degree, but not far enough that he wouldn’t be able to shoot her in a mere second. “I am sure he thinks he is going to do some good in the world.”

“He will,” Lena nodded.  _ I’m sure of it, no matter what future I’m in.  _ “So… do you know where he went?”

“No,” he said shortly, “but it should not be very hard to figure out if you know of what cause he is a part.”

_ Overwatch! Genji must still be a part of it.  _ “I think I know where.” She smiled at the elder Shimada sibling, glad to know that Genji seemed to have found enough peace within him to reach out to his brother. Maybe there was hope for the both of them… “Thank you. I’m going to go and try to find him.”  _ And I would appreciate it very much if you didn’t shoot me as I left! _

Lena was certain that he wouldn’t, but still. She didn’t know Hanzo very well, and it was better safe than sorry, no?

Hanzo seemed to get the hint, and he stepped back, quickly falling out of sight as the night grew darker. Lena sighed to herself as she backed away as well. Where to now? She’d have to check out at least one of the watchpoints; she could get ahold of Winston from a communication device, she was sure.

But as luck would have it, she ran out of time. Before she could even consider which location was the closest, she felt a tug on her body, comparable to the way Doomfist had ripped the accelerator away from her. And as her knees buckled and her eyelids grew heavy, Lena hoped that she would at least end up in a time and place close to Overwatch.


	2. Chapter 2

She was, in fact,  _ nowhere _ close to anywhere related to Overwatch.

Her clothes were uncomfortably heavy, and she realized that they were being weighed down by the cold dampness of snow. Groaning at the mix of dirt and slush sticking to her face, Lena struggled to her feet. As she brushed off her clothes and wrapped her arms around herself, she got a good look at her surroundings.

Mountains. Sky. The bright and beautiful sun that did nothing to warm her body. Lena sighed. 

A faint  _ bang _ echoed around her, and she had a brief moment to think  _ Not again! _ before realizing that the gunshot hadn’t been directed at her. Trying to pinpoint the origin, she hurried across the snow toward a cluster of buildings in the distance, trying not to slip on the slick surface. 

_ Where am I?  _

She gasped as she stepped on a...mine? Noxious gas spewed from it, making her throat tight and her eyes water. Lena coughed to try to expel it, shouting in surprise as she was tackled to the side.

“Tracer? What are you doing here?”

_ “Genji?” _

She hastily drew her pistols as another bullet streaked past, missing her teammate by mere centimeters as he dived out of the way. With Genji’s shurikens providing a distraction, Lena was able to step out of her cover to see their attacker, a blue-skinned woman (and how odd was that?) in tight-fitting clothes with her hair pulled back. As she shot at the woman, she found herself aided by someone flinging what looked like orbs in the same direction. When the sniper backed off and out of sight, Lena spared a glance backward at her unknown ally.

An omnic monk? Genji stepped back toward them, giving her a quick nod before facing the monk. “Shall we pursue her, Master?”

For a few seconds, said “Master” considered the spot where the sniper had been standing. “No… I do not believe that she will return. To think that she would have attempted to approach the shrine so soon after what she did…”

“She was likely looking for me. I apologize for putting you and the others in danger.” The grimace was evident in Genji’s voice.

“This is not your fault,” the “Master” intoned, “she may very well have heard of my travels, as well.”

“Who was she?” Lena asked curiously, and both of them turned toward her, giving off an air of mild surprise.

“You said that you faced off against her just a few weeks ago,” Genji said, “in an attempt to foil her assassination plan.” 

“Did I?” She didn’t remember doing such a thing, which meant...

Ah. The future, once again.

“And how are you here? I thought you were at Gibraltar.”

She worried at her lower lip. “So you know how I have this...chronal dissociation thing? And the chronal accelerator that Winston built me keeps me from...well, disappearing?” She gestured at the empty space where the device was supposed to be, and Genji seemed to understand,  _ thankfully. _

“You are from the past. Was this during the fight with Doomfist?”

“Yes!” Relief flooded her, and she could have hugged Genji right then and there. “Can you help me get back to my time? Where’s Winston? Who is-” Lena cut herself off as she realized that she’d been rude by not acknowledging the other presence with them. “Oh, sorry! I’m Lena, nice to meet you, though I suppose you could have already met me in this time.”

“My name is Tekhartha Zenyatta. It is nice to meet you, as well.”

“After Overwatch- well, after some time, I realized that I did not really know or like who I was, and I decided that I needed to find inner peace. He helped me come to terms with myself,” Genji informed her, and she liked Zenyatta already. “I can take you to Winston. Would you like to accompany us?” he asked his teacher, but Zenyatta shook his head lightly.

“No, I believe I have some more wandering to do, my pupil. Perhaps one day, my path will cross that of Overwatch. But not today.” He seemed to smile at Lena, and she couldn’t help but return it. “I hope you find your way back to your time.”

“Thank you! I hope we get to meet properly one day.” Making more friends was always welcome in her book, and the omnic did seem like a good ally.

“I believe that all meetings have a purpose,” Zenyatta hummed, “even this one, anachronistic as it is.”

Yeah, she  _ definitely  _ liked Zenyatta. She grinned at Genji, and she got the feeling that he was looking pleased beneath his mask. “Shall we get going?” he asked, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder.

His hand went right through her. 

“Oh no,” she groaned. Please, she was so close to finding a way back to her own time! Well, not  _ close _ , but she’d been making progress…

“Lena…?” Genji muttered, concern coloring his voice. 

She took a deep breath. “It’s all right! This happens sometimes, and it doesn’t  _ always _ mean that I’m going to vanish, yeah?”

Well...she would know it best, wouldn’t she? And Lena had the distinct feeling that this moment wasn’t going to last, that in just a few seconds, she was going to be thrown into the unknown again.

“Just...just tell me where the big guy might be! Maybe I’ll be able to find my way there if I end up in a time close to this one.” A shiver went through her body, and nervousness tightened in her stomach.

Genji reached up and removed his mask so that their eyes could meet. She found that his steady gaze and Zenyatta’s calm aura helped her focus and eased her fear. He really had found peace within himself, hadn’t he? She was glad; it was a source of hope, something for him to look forward to in her own time. 

“He is usually at Watchpoint Gibraltar these days. And Lena...do not worry. You will find your way home.”

With Genji’s promise ringing in her ears, Lena was surrounded by the suffocating blankness again. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena thinks that she should know these two men in the future who seem to hate each other.

Lena regained consciousness with the rude awakening of alarms blaring in the air around her. The warm breeze caressed her face as she braced her hands on the ground and pushed herself up. Brushing off the dust and dirt from her clothes, she took a deep breath and stared into the starry distance. She could see...mountains again? No snow, but they did look rather peculiar. She squinted at the peaks, only to realize that there _were_ no peaks; the tops of the mountains were flat. Her eyes widened as she realized that the noise was coming from a place she recognized, even through the hazy darkness: the Watchpoint at Grand Mesa.

She felt a tentative hope bloom in her chest. This was it; she could finally touch base with Overwatch and go back home.

“I wouldn’t go there, if I were you,” warned a voice as she stepped toward the now-silenced building. Lena spun around, drawing her pulse pistols and aiming at a man whose face was obscured by a visor and a mask. He was holding a rifle, though he didn’t seem inclined to point it directly at her. Did he not perceive her as a threat? Lena didn’t know whether she should be relieved or offended.

“And why is that?”

“They’re on high alert for intruders. Or one, at least.”

Lena frowned at him warily, gripping her pistols more tightly. “What did you do? What do you have against Overwatch? Are my friends all right?”

“Your...friends?” The man tilted his head, and she got the feeling that he was scrutinizing her. “Your friends weren’t in there. The place is being watched over by Helix Security International.”

 _What? But…_ “What for? Why did Overwatch leave it? Who are you?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the man said wearily. “You’re from the past, aren’t you.”

A statement, not a question? So he knew her somehow, knew about her situation. But how? Only Overwatch personnel could figure such a thing out.

She took a closer look at the soldier. Well, she _figured_ he was a soldier since he seemed to carry himself a bit like one. He had a scar on his face, though she couldn’t tell how far down his face it went. And a gruff voice that was only slightly muffled by the mask...she ran it through a mental check of the voices of the people she knew.

It was _frustrating._ There was an edge of familiarity, a hint that _she should know this person._

Her focus shattered as a shadow appeared behind the soldier, solidifying into a reaper-like figure in a black, hooded cloak, carrying shotguns. “Behind you!” she gasped, and the man whipped around and started shooting at the apparition, which only turned into some kind of black mist as it circled around them. Lena kept her guns pointed at the new arrival, figuring that it had more hostile intentions than any of them at the moment.

“You’re in my way,” the cloaked figure hissed, and Lena straightened, trying not to let her breathing sound as shaky as she felt.

“And you’re outnumbered,” she countered with the most confidence that she could muster up.

Reaper laughed, shooting shivers down her spine. “I can’t die. But I’m sure the same can’t be said for you.” He raised his shotguns, and from behind her, the soldier let loose what looked like a small barrage of rockets. Lena followed suit with her own shots, and Reaper staggered back with a pained grunt.

“Looks like you can still feel pain, though!” she quipped, and he _growled._ Why was he so determined to be _menacing_?

“You’ve been after for me for two weeks now. What do you want?” the soldier demanded.

From the moment of strained silence, Lena could presume that Reaper was glaring at his foe. “You should have died in that explosion.”

The soldier seemed surprised, though he didn’t lower the rifle. “How do you-”

“Know? _I wonder._ ” His tone turned sardonic, and Lena glanced between the two of them.

“Am I missing something?”

“Plenty,” Reaper spat out. “Go back to your time. The future doesn’t need you.”

Lena flinched. “Oi, I don’t think that’s for _you_ to decide. Who are you, anyway? How do you two know each other?”

A strangled sound escaped from the soldier’s throat, and Lena looked at him in alarm. His shoulders were tense, and his grip on the gun had tightened. So he’d come to a realization, then… Lena felt helplessly out of the loop, which wasn’t that unusual when she was out of her time.

“You ask too many questions. I guess some things never change.” Reaper aimed one of his shotguns at her while keeping the other fixed on the soldier, and he fired straight at her midsection...

...Only for the shot to go straight through her. Not in a painful way, but a “becoming intangible” way. Lena let out a shuddering breath of relief.

Reaper made a displeased noise but turned away completely to face his intended target, and the soldier did the same, a determined frown set upon his face. Lena found that she didn’t mind disappearing into another time or being ignored, the former since it had allowed her to _live_ and the latter since the future _unnerved_ her. The inactive watchpoint, the two mysteriously familiar men who seemed to have a hostile history… they were all worrying.

_The future doesn’t need you._

She couldn’t help but wonder if Reaper had meant her or Overwatch.


End file.
